The Applicability of Western Management Science in Iran: A Retrospective Critique of a "Culture-Free" Research Study for Today's Management Scholars and Educators

Hamid Akbari

Authors

Hamid Akbari

Keywords:

international management; iran; western management science; intercultural research and education; social construction of reality

Abstract

This paper presents a retrospective critique of my own survey research conducted more than three decades ago in Tehran, Iran. The main finding of the research was that the managers of small companies in Iran had failed to implement the principles of western scientific management in their companies. A summary of the research and its results are presented. A social constructionist critique of the research and its approach is made as a cautionary note to those who continue to advance western theories of management and organizations as universal, "culture-free" and objective facts in non-western countries.

Downloads

How to Cite

The Applicability of Western Management Science in Iran: A Retrospective Critique of a "Culture-Free" Research Study for Today’s Management Scholars and Educators. (2013). Global Journal of Management and Business Research, 13(24), 31-36. https://journalofbusiness.org/index.php/GJMBR/article/view/

Download Citation

References

AACSB (2007) Eligibility procedures and accreditation standards for business accreditation. http://www.-aacsb.edu

P. Berger, T. Luckmann (1966) The social construction of reality.

M. Bowring (2000) De/constructing theory: A look at the institutional theory that positivism built. 9(3), 258-270.

G. Burrell, G. Morgan (1979) Sociological paradigms and organizational analysis: Elements of the sociology of corporate life.

K. Charmaz (2006) Constructing grounded theory: A practical guide through qualitative analysis.

J. Contay, H. Mahmoudi, G. Miller (1983) Social Structure and Bureaucracy: A Comparison of Organizations in the United States and Prerevolutionary Iran. 4(2), 105-128. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084068300400201

N. Denzin, Y. Lincoln (2005) Handbook of qualitative research.

H. Fayol (1949) General and industrial management (trans. C. Storr).

B. Glaser, A. Strauss (1967) The discovery of grounded theory: Strategies for qualitative research.

P. Hirsch, K. Boal (2000) Whose social construction: Berger and Luckmann revisited. 9(3), 256-257.

Mansour Javidan, Dale Carl (2004) East Meets West: A Cross‐Cultural Comparison of Charismatic Leadership Among Canadian and Iranian Executives. 41(4), 665-691. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00449.x

M. Javidan, D. Carl (2005) Leadership across cultures: A study of Canadian and Taiwanese executives. 45(1), 23-44.

A. Kinicki, R. Kreitner (2006) Organizational behavior: Key concepts, skills and best practices.

C. McMillan, C. Hickson, R. Schneck (1973) The Structure of Work Organizations Across Societies'. 16(4), 555-569. https://doi.org/10.2307/254690

George Miller (1987) Meta-analysis and the Culture-free Hypothesis. 8(4), 309-326. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084068700800402

G. Miller, H. Mahmoudi (1986) Cross-national research: A comparison of social structure and bureaucracy in the United States and prerevolutionary Iran. 16, 273-286.

G. Miller, B. Sharda (2000) Organizational Structure in the Middle East: a Comparative Analysis. 41, 315-327.

J. Ofori-Dankwa, D. Ricks (2000) Research emphasis on cultural differences and/or similarities: Are we asking the right questions?. 6, 172-186.

K. Parhizgar (1974) Theories of administration.

D. Pugh, D. Hickson (1976) Organizational structure in its context: The Aston programme I. 1.

D. Pugh, D. Hickson, C. Hinings, C. Turner (1968) Dimensions of Organization Structure. 13(1), 65. https://doi.org/10.2307/2391262

G. Redding (1994) Comparative Management Theory: Jungle, Zoo or Fossil Bed?. 15(3), 323-359. https://doi.org/10.1177/017084069401500302

A. Strauss, J. Corbin (1990) Basics of qualitative research: Grounded theory procedures and techniques.

F. Taylor (1947) Scientific Management.

Anne Tsui (2004) Contributing to Global Management Knowledge: A Case for High Quality Indigenous Research. 21(4), 491-513. https://doi.org/10.1023/b:apjm.0000048715.35108.a7

A. Tsui, S. Nifadkar, A. Yi Ou (2007) Cross-National, Cross-Cultural Organizational Behavior Research: Advances, Gaps, and Recommendations. 33, 426-473.

Eric Walton (2005) The Persistence of Bureaucracy: A Meta-analysis of Weber's Model of Bureaucratic Control. 26(4), 569-600. https://doi.org/10.1177/0170840605051481

M. Weber (1947) The theory of social and economic organization (trans.